THE flag carrier of the Maldives, Maldivian, is planning to introduce thrice-weekly flights between Male and Mumbai from November 15, and will ramp up the frequency of the service to five times a week this winter.
The airline currently operates to Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), and also plans to start flights to New Delhi by March 2013.
Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor, Maldives’ minister of tourism, arts & culture, said: “Lack of direct connectivity from Mumbai to Male has been a deterrent factor in (Indians) choosing Maldives as a destination. With the introduction of direct flights, travel time (between Mumbai and Male) will come down to about two-and-a-half hours.”
According to Abdul Gafoor, a roundtrip ticket from Mumbai to Male, inclusive of all taxes, will cost around Rs20,000 (US$364).
Veneeta Rawat, director, Amazing Vacations Mumbai said: “The new flight will add large numbers from Western India to the Maldives, starting immediately. (Future) frequency increase is a foregone conclusion due to the high demand.”
